HydroSelect: guiding early decisions for better hydropower projects

Hydropower projects that encounter serious sustainability, environmental, or social problems rarely fail due to construction-related issues. Rather, they fail due to decisions made at the earliest stages of development. Site selection, project scoping, and initial feasibility assessments shape everything downstream, yet these critical stages are often undertaken with limited structured guidance on sustainability risks and opportunities.  

HydroSelect was developed by the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance (HSA) to address this gap. It is a rapid, structured screening tool that enables developers, governments, and financiers to assess whether a project is on a viable sustainability pathway before significant capital or political commitment is made. Drawing on the framework of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, HydroSelect translates established ESG principles into a practical framework for early-stage decision-making.  

This workshop will explore how HydroSelect can support more informed, consistent, and transparent decision-making in the early phases of hydropower development. Through practical insights and real-world applications, the practical session will examine how the tool can be embedded more systematically into development finance processes and national planning frameworks, helping to reduce risk and improve long-term project outcomes.

Workshop objectives

• Identify the key sustainability risks and decision-making challenges at the early stages of hydropower development and understand their implications for project viability.
• Introduce HydroSelect and explain how it addresses the sustainability screening gap at the early stage of project development.  
• Demonstrate how the tool connects with Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS) and supports a structured pathway towards HSS certification.
• Share lessons and practical experience from applying HydroSelect in project contexts, including perspectives from financial institutions and developers.
• Explore how HydroSelect can be integrated into DFI screening processes, national hydropower planning frameworks, and regional capacity building efforts.

‍